As the federal government sends massive subsidies to encourage so-called clean coal technology, coal-burning power plants aren't sending less pollution into the air and into the earth.
Tim McLaughlin reports the findings of a Reuters investigation into the outcomes of federal programs to subsidize chemically treated clean coal, or "clean coal" in industry public relations terminology.
Refined coal has a "dirty secret," according to McLaughlin: it fails to live up to its environmental promises.
Reuters analyzed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including data from a Duke Energy Corp power plant in North Carolina, and found that NOx emission rates increased substantially when the plant began burning refined coal in 2012. When the plant stopped using the refined coal, bromide levels in the region fell sharply.
The story of Duke Energy's Marshall Steam Station power plant in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina is only a case study. In aggregate, according to the analysis, refined coal "shows few signs of reducing NOx emissions as lawmakers intended."
FULL STORY: U.S. clean coal program fails to deliver on promised smog cuts
Climate Change Removed from White House Website
Well, that didn't take long! Goodbye Obama Clean Action Plan and restrictive environmental regulations; hello shale oil and gas revolution.
Power Plants: A Win for the EPA
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Red States Challenge Biden Rules That Threaten Coal Power Plants
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
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